Few things match the luxury and elegance of modern European cabinets in a Phoenix or Las Vegas home design. The smoothness and minimalist design of these cabinets can bring a kitchen, bathroom, or office space to life in a way no other cabinet style can.
Whether you are remodeling a kitchen that is tight on space or has plenty of room to spare, you may want to consider taking advantage of a new trend in cabinetry that will uniquely transform your space. Frameless cabinetry, a popular style of cabinetry in Europe, is gaining popularity in America. Before selecting frameless cabinetry, it is important to understand its benefits and the best way to make it a part of your design.
Authentic Custom Cabinetry offers more than 30 different finishes to create cabinetry ideal for your space. From bold, glossy colors to natural, appealing wood grain textures, there’s simply no beating the sleek elegance of these cabinets.
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What are European cabinets?
European cabinets are frameless cabinets that can appear hidden due to their minimalist look and feel while maximizing storage space.
Some of the defining traits of these cabinets include:
- Hidden hinges and frameless designs, void of hardware or visible notches
- Maximum storage space
- Innovative storage capabilities
- Lighter weight without compromising cabinet integrity
- Flat, sleek surfaces and minimal hardware
- Versatile yet minimalistic appeal
Learn more about European cabinets design and aesthetic
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Bold Modern Cabinet Design
These beautiful, ornate cabinets pull out all of the stops when it comes to their design. Take a look at all of the elements that go into making sure they’re absolutely flawless when designed for your unique home:
- Frameless Style
- 3/4 in. plywood box construction
- 1/4 in. back panel with 1/2 in. mounting rail on top and bottom
- Front and back “1-beam”on all base cabinets
- Fully captured 3/4 in. MDF door with solid white back panel
- 3/4 in. full depth plywood shelves
- Soft closing hinges standard on all doors
- Drawer box 5/8 in. plywood bottom, metal side rails w/ concealed full extension and soft close glides
Benefits of Frameless European Cabinets
Framed cabinetry has become a standard choice for many homeowners, but it does have some disadvantages. Unlike European cabinets, traditional framed cabinets have doors mounted to the face frame making it difficult to have doors and drawer-fronts mounted closely together.
Front cabinet frames can also reduce the amount of useable space inside the cabinet. The frame, which is usually one and a half inches wide, will change the space for storage inside for door fronts and even more so for drawer fronts since the size of the drawer will need to be decreased to fit within the front frame. And those center stiles will make adjusting shelving inside, as well as storing wider items, more difficult than with frameless cabinetry.
Sleek Minimalist Design
Think of frameless cabinetry as a five-sided box, with the front of each cabinet open and without a frame. The absence of a front frame means that hinges for doors and drawers are mounted directly to the inside of each cabinet, which maximizes the space for inside storage. This also allows for doors and drawer fronts to be placed closer together, which presents a more sleek and contemporary design aesthetic.
Maximum Storage Space
For one example of these differences, consider a 36-inch-wide base cabinet in both a framed and frameless construction. A framed cabinet of this size will probably have a one-and-a-half-inch frame around the exterior of the front with a similar sized stile in the middle. If this cabinet had doors and interior shelving, you would have to deal with the center stile in order to store anything wider than about 18 inches. If this cabinet had drawers, even without a center stile, the drawer’s interior width could be decreased by as much as 3 inches.
The same 36-inch-wide base cabinet in a frameless construction has more in common with an open bookshelf. Frameless cabinetry would offer more interior width and, without a center front stile, give better front access to the cabinet’s interior. Large platters or baking dishes would easily fit and adjustable shelving can be moved more effortlessly. A drawer in this size frameless cabinet has as much as three inches more interior storage space width.
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Common Home Aesthetics For Modern/European Cabinetry
Many historic home styles would seem to lend themselves more to traditional cabinetry. However, for the homeowner who loves a modern look, any home can incorporate a more contemporary design, and still nod to the home’s origins.
Pueblo
With its more rugged design and a tendency to make use of natural materials, the Pueblo home can incorporate the neutral colors of a modern kitchen design to showcase spots of color.
Sleek lines and uninterrupted spaces are wonderful ways to highlight dark wood accents or tile flooring in a bright pueblo-inspired color.
Spanish Mission
To give this design a modern twist, include specialty tiles inspired by the Spanish Mission style. The use of archways and natural stone is also very compatible with the modern style.
Contemporary cabinetry in warmer tones with carefully chosen hardware can give homage to this historic design, while still being modern in nature.
Tuscan
If you think of Tuscan style as a warm sunset over the vineyards of Tuscany, it is not impossible to incorporate modern kitchen cabinets into a Tuscan style kitchen. Warm colors that acknowledge an outdoor influence can actually extend the modern feel uniquely. Think of using wrought iron hardware, lighting fixtures inspired by nature, or flooring options that give your modern cabinets a warm, inviting spin.
Split Level
The floor plan of many split-level homes places the kitchen in the center of the home. Take advantage of this ideal location and the usually squared room shape by giving a split-level home a personality-defining modern kitchen. Cabinetry that is sleek and neutral will provide a facelift that defines the space in a new, contemporary way. By working with a knowledgeable kitchen designer, you can focus on the overall aesthetic and how to translate that into every detail, from cabinets and countertops to the wall color, hardware, and appliance selection.
Bungalow
While the historic nature of the Bungalow style might not seem like a good option for modern or contemporary kitchen cabinets, this is not necessarily the case. Many bungalows were built with Mission style cabinetry, which in its own time was considered very modern. The simplicity of the door and drawer fronts for both these styles are cleaner and sleeker than many traditional cabinet styles. Both styles can also be modernized with hardware that is more contemporary looking, whether that is by its design or the materials used. And built-in cabinets that are historically a part of bungalow kitchens are ideal for adaptation by a custom cabinet manufacturer who knows the modern style.
Contemporary/Mid-Century Modernism
This seems like an obvious choice for modern kitchen cabinets. But remember that Mid-Century modernism has roots in specific design elements and natural materials. If your desire is to create a kitchen that seamlessly blends with your home’s design, pay attention to the different degrees of modern cabinet design, and choose one that compliments your home’s architectural style.
Using Frameless European Cabinets in Your Space
The contemporary look of frameless cabinets comes with challenges. Their more flush-mounted doors present a high-end look, but also require expert help for installation. Working with a professional cabinet company is essential to getting the most out of a frameless cabinet design.
Frameless cabinets require three key installation considerations:
- Since door and drawer fronts are more closely aligned, making sure the cabinetry is mounted squarely and precisely is crucial.
- Hardware, like door hinges and drawer slides, have less room for error on installation and must be properly installed to avoid movement as the kitchen cabinetry is put to use. Because doors and drawers are more tightly aligned, any changes — however minor — may have doors butting against each other or drawers closing improperly.
- Because the lack of a front frame can affect the stability of larger cabinetry, working with a professional cabinetry company is essential. This is the best way to maximize your storage space without compromising cabinetry integrity, and also ensure that every inch of your kitchen is efficiently used.
There are a variety of frameless cabinet options available at different price points. The best way to ensure that your design is successfully installed and adds value to your day-to-day life is to work with companies that understand the unique requirements of frameless cabinet design. Frameless cabinets also present a great opportunity for custom cabinet design.
If frameless cabinetry interests you, contact us about expertly designing and installing the ideal custom frameless cabinetry that will bring your contemporary kitchen design to life.
Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling
Authentic Custom Cabinetry offers the best custom cabinetry in Phoenix and Las Vegas. But if you’re looking for an even larger facelift for your kitchen or bathroom space, look no further! We offer remodeling through our sister company, Renovations by Design.
Renovations by Design has been offering home modeling for more than 20 years, specializing in giving you the kitchen remodel or bathroom remodel that you’ve been dreaming of.
Contact Authentic Custom Cabinetry Today!
Ready to explore the sleek luxury of European style cabinetry? Contact Authentic Custom Cabinetry today at 602-550-6164 to consult with us about colors, styles and other options. Ask our friendly design team about traditional and contemporary cabinet styles too!
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